Impact of home-based online classes on residential buildings’ use of space during the COVID-19 pandemic school closures in Saudi Arabia
ISSN: 0263-2772
Article publication date: 28 April 2022
Issue publication date: 1 June 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The recent COVID-19 pandemic compelled people to spend most of their time at home to avoid spreading the virus, signifying staying away from offices, schools and marketplaces and where many people congregate. This situation put enormous pressure on residential buildings, which functioned as alternative spaces to schools and offices. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of home-based online classes because of the COVID-19 outbreak on residential buildings in Saudi Arabia.
Design/methodology/approach
This study collected population-representative survey data from 324 eligible respondents using an online questionnaire and conducts descriptive and Spearman's correlation analysis using the SPSS 28.0 program.
Findings
This study found that the use of space during COVID-19, home-based learning space comfort and home-based online learning perception affected home-based online space requirements during the school lockdowns. Higher school levels, learning space comfort levels, types of education and number of school-aged children in a house were correlated with various types of discomfort experienced during home-based online learning. Lastly, the parents' preference for their children to continue online studies was correlated with the adverse effects of online learning and the possible advantages of online learning.
Originality/value
Lack of studies about the impact of home-based online classes on residential space requirement and use resulted in insufficient investigation and documentation of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on home-based learning environments. This research contributes to the literature on the factors affecting spatial requirement during emergencies and how significant this relationship is.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to acknowledge the support provided by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Citation
Mohammed, M.A. (2022), "Impact of home-based online classes on residential buildings’ use of space during the COVID-19 pandemic school closures in Saudi Arabia", Facilities, Vol. 40 No. 9/10, pp. 573-593. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-09-2021-0077
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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